After-arrest bail: FIA asked for records against ex-LESCO chief

Rafique said there was no proof he had ordered power shutdown.

LAHORE:

A special judge of the central court on Tuesday once again directed the Federal Investigation Agency to produce the record against former Lahore Electric Supply Company CEO Arshad Rafique and former operations general manager Mehboob Ali on an after-arrest bail petition. Rafique and Ali are charged with corruption, abuse of power and causing monetary loss to the public exchequer.

Prosecutor Akram Qureshi told the court that he had been deputed as the prosecutor for FIA and was waiting for a formal letter of his nomination. He said the record would be produced in court in a few days. The court adjourned the hearing until July 3.

Rafique pleaded that nothing on record proved that he had ordered the power shutdown in two circles, New Kot Lakhpat Grid Station to Ghazi Road Grid Station and New Kot Lakhpat Grid Station to Airport Grid Station. He said the request for the shutdown was made on behalf of Traffic and Engineering Transport Agency (TEPA) for the purpose of shifting electricity poles to widen roads on the Chungi interchange.

He said the request, made on May 23, sought suspension of electricity from 7am to 3pm (eight hours) but the power cut to the area took place from 8:45am to 4:10pm (seven hours and 25 minutes). Rafique said the request for suspension of electricity had been made on behalf of the provincial government to widen roads. He said there was no “mischief” intended.

The FIA had earlier arrested Rafique over charges of corruption and abuse of power. Ali was arrested for aiding and abetting his chief’s “illegal activities”. They were charged with ordering unscheduled load shedding to various domestic and commercial feeders and illegally redirecting electricity to industrial units.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2014.